My first blog!!

Hi everyone. I would just like to introduce myself and give you some background information about myself and my reasons for starting this blog.

My name is Andrew Smith and I live in a small village called Queensbury in Bradford. I am male and I have just gone 44 years old. In October 2008 I was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, a condition that is one the Autistic Spectrum and is at the high end of the spectrum.

Many individuals with Aspergers live and lead normal lives and outwardly appear atypical and the same as any other person, yet how they see and perceive the world around them can be so different to others, and this can make an immense difference to their quality of life and life chances.

But how do you realise that you have Aspergers? How do you know there’s something different with the world you live in compared to the atypical world? At what point is it that you don’t feel a part of society and that society feels excluded to you and it’s as if you’re looking into society from the outside?

And how do you interact with a society that you don’t fully understand, feel as if something’s wrong yet can’t quite put your finger on it, because you don’t realise that although everybody is different, you are more different than most?

And what of the things that everybody takes for granted such as education, employment, relationships, socialising and homemaking? How are you affected in your ability to do these things when you have a condition such as Aspergers?

But what of the good things in life? Life is all about balance and everybody has good times. Looking at the world in a different and unique way can have its advantages. Nobody can look at the world the same as you, and if you can explain that way, then if can be a gift if you can use it. Having a mind that can picture life in such depth and detail and learning to use that gift can be immensely satisfying.

And when you get the chance to show the world just what you can achieve, how much you can learn, how far you can go, and then all the bad times seem worth it. But do you know the good times from the bad times, and can bad times turn good with reflection?

One of the most important aspects of this blog for me is how to do it. It may seem an easy question, but for myself for it to have real meaning, a purpose and to inform, educate, get people thinking, to get them asking questions about the world around them and how they and others view it, I have decided to do this blo.gf in a chronological, structured way, with a sociological/psychological bent towards it. Whilst this may not appeal to everyone, every story has to start somewhere and for me it’s reflecting back on my first experience of Asperger’s.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy writing it, and if you do have any questions please feel free to either put them on here, or email me directly.

Thank you for reading my blog.